Media 360 Buys Deer & Deer Hunting, WISCONSIN MEDIA GROUP

Waupaca, WI — A group led by longtime employees and contributors has purchased Deer & Deer Hunting from F+W Media of New York.

The new owners, Media 360, LLC, will keep the nation’s top whitetail magazine, website, TV show and social media platforms in Wisconsin. The company is led by whitetail fanatics Brad Rucks, Daniel Schmidt and Steve Bartylla. Combined, the three men have more than 75 years of experience with Deer & Deer Hunting and the outdoors industry. Rucks (sales) and Schmidt (editor) have been staff members for more than 25 years each; Bartylla has been a top content contributor for print, TV and online video, including the top-rated “Grow ’em Big” and “Hunt ’em Big” online shows.

Deer & Deer Hunting was founded in 1977 by the Stump Sitters Whitetail Study Group. It was North America’s first whitetail-specific magazine and is largely credited for kick-starting the whitetail industry. The magazine’s founders built the brand’s niche by providing whitetail enthusiasts with cutting-edge insights on deer research, behavior, biology, hunting tactics and hunting product development. The magazine is published 11 times per year.

Other titles in the portfolio include Turkey & Turkey Hunting, Trapper & Predator Caller, Ice Fishing and Living Ready.

“This is a historic day for Deer & Deer Hunting, as we plan to bring this historic brand back to its employee-owned roots,” said Rucks. “We are dedicated to growing the brand even more to keep up with the demand for enhanced media experiences.”

Schmidt agrees. “This all-encompassing brand has been so successful for so long for one reason: It has had its thumb on the pulse of avid outdoorsmen and women. It is a lifestyle that’s engrained in the psyche of millions of like-minded individuals.”

Bartylla added: “For as exciting as that is, the part I find even more thrilling is D&DH is now again owned by serious, real-world hunters. Having seen the transition of media outlets being ran by boards of nonhunters, I know what that is doing to our beloved passion, and it isn’t good. I am thrilled to be part of a solution.”

Coinciding with the change in ownership, Deer & Deer Hunting -TV will kick off its 15th anniversary season on June 29 as part of “Saturday Night Deer Camp” on Pursuit Channel. Thirteen new episodes of the flagship program will again be accompanied by D&DH’s two other programs: Destination Whitetail and Land of Whitetail, along with the GameKeepers of Mossy Oak program. Deer & Deer Hunting, Destination Whitetail and Land of Whitetail are also aired on Canada’s WILD TV.

About Media 360, LLC

Media 360’s mission is to provide hunting and outdoors enthusiasts with top-shelf content and community experiences through vast digital, video, television and print platforms. The group’s print titles reach more than 1.6 million customers annually; the TV programs reach 11.7 million households; and the online videos are viewed more than 35 million times annually. The group also has a social media base of nearly 1 million fans across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.

Media Contact: Daniel Schmidt

715-295-4875, [email protected]